Happy Thanksgiving!

As soon as the leaves turn their golden and bright colours and the air freshens up as the temperature drops, I can tell that Thanksgiving is getting closer. Memories instantly return of huge family gatherings with 15 or so people gathered around the table with all 4 of its leaves put in to fit us all round. Mum will have had laid the table, and prepared the veg while Dad was on wine duty and took care of the bird. His two tasks combined nicely as the bird was often fed the same alcoholic beverage that we were! His ritual of carefully basting the bird together with a combination of steaming and roasting always resulted in a succulent roast with crispy skin and killer gravy; writing down every step and time as he went along. After the veg and meat, we'd stuff any remaining space in our tummies with Mum's pumpkin and sugar pie with copious amounts of whipped cream.

Although the dynamics have changed around here a bit, I still carry on with roasting rituals but now I've taken on the veg as well. Good practice I call it. But it's the family getting together again, relaxing, and spending good quality time together that always matters the most. So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and I hope you have a wonderful time no matter whether you're spending it with given or chosen family.

This was the best pictures I could find to represent our family gatherings. All you keen observers will notice that that is an Advent wreath, and you are quite right. It was taken at Christmas in 1985, but this is what it would have looked like.